Boot Camp
by MeteorLeopard
Summary: Elbow deep in mud and freezing cold might be horrid, but even boot camp has its perks. AU. Short One - Shot by SugarFox. Hitsukarin.


I am posting all these little random one – shots I wrote ages ago. This came to me at two am and I could sleep until I jotted it down. Its not much, but enjoy regardless and review!

Boot Camp

Dark earth and deep puddles of liquid blended to create huge stretches of mud where the ground was torn up from heavy shoes. Barbed wire, and long poles, a death trap for any individual who didn't treat the threatening course with the respect it deserved. Orders barked left and right, piercing whistles and shrill calls for them to move faster.

Her legs ached, and the flesh above her left knee was throbbing in a way that clearly meant that she had cut the skin through her heavy combat attire. She could feel the thick dirt under her short fingernails as she clutched her combat rifle to her side. She leopard crawled so low on the ground she could almost taste the dirt. Karin was by no means a girly girl, but she held no fondness for the mud and dirt and she didn't like doing the basic combat training course anymore than anybody else.

She dragged herself along with an efficient speed, bursting out the other end of the trench she barely paused to gasp a breath of air before she heard a harsh yell for her to move faster. Tatsuki was only a second behind her, and the two girls sprinted for the climbing nets. Agility and the fact that they were lighter and smaller than the men was a tactful advantage for them, but when it came to strength, it counted against them.

Karin practically flew up the rough rope, and could feel the burns on her palms where they cut her skin raw. She growled when she thought of how she would have to clean and bandage them later. Reaching the top of the net and standing nearly two stories high in the air Karin jumped without hesitation. Reaching out a tender hand, she gripped the rope firmly as she swung across the wide space of ice-cold water. She fell, feeling the cold air against her face, and landed with a catlike grace on the opposite bank. Tatsuki landed beside her, her feet making a neat thud sound in her large combat boots.

They could feel the building pressure being exerted on their bodies as they pushed themselves even harder and ran for the tires. The simplest part of the course yet the most exhausting as it was the second last obstacle. After enduring an entire course at near lightening speed, the exhaustion begins to sink in, and lifting ones heavy feet to run in and out of a dozen tires was torture for Karin's agonizing aching body. She gripped her rifle in her hand, and tried to numb her body's begging her to stop by thinking of the hot shower she would get when this was over.

She raced at the last obstacle, her favourite by far, and she reveled in the feeling of climbing a huge natural rock face with nothing but her bare hands. Finding nifty hooks and grips was her specialty, and Tatsuki wasn't that bad at it either, only a couple of meters behind her. With the quick and sure movements of someone who was completely at home over twenty meters in the air hanging off a cliff face with no support, Karin clambered to the top, throwing herself to the ground and gasping deeply for the oxygen her body so desperately needed.

A minute later Tatsuki collapsed beside her, and lifting a limp hand, the two girls gave each other a relieved high five. They lay there for a while, just breathing and basking in the pure adrenaline rush of the course they had just completed. Karin could feel her scrapes and bumps beginning to hurt, and her body beginning to get stiff. She rose slowly, cussing in language that would be completely frowned upon had she been anywhere else. Tatsuki chuckled at her side and go up as well, albeit reluctantly, and cussing in a similar manner.

"Kurosaki! Arisawa! Good job! Hit the showers!" A large man yelled at them with his megaphone and Karin turned her head to give their instructor a nod.

"Sir. Yes, Sir!" She yelled and got up, helping her friend up too, and grateful that Kenpachi-sensei wasn't going to kill them today. They turned as they saw him yelling down the side of the cliff face at a bunch of men who were climbing too slowly.

"Faster! You were beaten by two girls! Don't be such a freaking pansy ass and climb faster or I will make sure you are assigned to clean the men's toilets with your one and only toothbrush!" He barked at the struggling people and Karin decided that a shower didn't sound all that bad.

Her short hair was filled with mud, leaves, and twigs, her normally clean skin was coated in full camouflage war paint in greens, and khakis, and she was freezing cold. He muscles were killing her, and she just wanted to take a shower and sleep. But she had afternoon war strategy classes. Just the thought made her groan.

"And all that groaning?" Tatsuki asked her as they limped towards the locker rooms.

"Remind me again why we joined the army?" Karin complained as they crossed the torn up field with soldiers still completing the course. Tatsuki laughed and then pointed at two figures involved in a deep discussion near the trench. A white haired captain with turquoise eyes, dressed in simple training combat attire, was consulting with his tall red head lieutenant covered in tattoos.

"We joined for the hunks remember? At least I did. You were rambling something about becoming a military pilot." Tatsuki teased, and Karin shook her head. Tatsuki was crazy, and they both knew that they joined because they wanted to fight for a purpose. The hunks were just a convenient incentive she thought as she caught eyes with Hitsugaya Toushirou; his turquoise eyes were deep and filled with self-confidence. He gave her a small smile, and Karin couldn't help but feel that the burning in her muscles was worth every little smile he sent in her direction. Now she would gladly do that course again if it got her another one of those rare smiles.


End file.
